UAE weather forecast: Final burst of rain before cool and dry weekend ahead

Police urge drivers to be cautious as hundreds of thousands return to roads for school and work amid fresh downpours

Motorists drive in the rain on Al Khail Road in Dubai on Jan 3. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

The UAE had been receiving unusually large amounts of rain over the weekend.

Traffic under grey skies and rain on Hessa Street in Dubai.

The National Centre of Meteorology said downpours, strong winds and leaden skies were expected.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi were hit by intense storms with torrential rain deluging the cities, along with thunder and lightning.

More rain fell across the UAE on Tuesday with bouts of wet weather also forecast for Wednesday.

A rainstorm expected to the hit the UAE dissipated overnight but Al Ain, Liwa and parts of Abu Dhabi city experienced fresh showers by 3pm.

Charts show a front of rainy weather is set to hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. There will be rain for much of the day, the NCM and Windy.com reports showed.

However, the unsettled weather is set to be followed by a dry and cool weekend. Thursday to Sunday should be dry, fresh and breezy with daytime highs of just 23ºC.

The Emirates has experienced the wettest start to the year since 2020, with isolated flooding and damage to homes in some areas. Pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai reopened after minor weather damage but remain on alert.

On Tuesday, as tens of thousands returned to offices and schools, police gave warnings about poor driving conditions.

Col Jumaa bin Suwaidan, acting director of Dubai Traffic Police, said some motorists were distracted by taking pictures and videos of the weather while at the wheel.

Drivers must keep a safe distance from the car in front, pay attention to the road and be alert.

Abu Dhabi Police have also called on motorists to exercise caution and follow the changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards.

On Monday, Ras Al Khaimah's air unit rescued a motorist after his car was swept away by flooding in Wadi Al Beeh.

The NCM has said winds will reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour. Conditions will be rough in the Arabian Gulf with waves reaching up to two metres until Tuesday night.

In Abu Dhabi, the maximum temperature on Tuesday will be 21ºC and the minimum will be 16ºC, while in Dubai it will be 22ºC and 15ºC respectively. The lowest temperature recorded this morning was 5.4°C at Jebal Jais.

January and February are the wettest months of the year and there could be further rainfall ahead, forecaster Dr Abdulla Al Bahri told Dubai Eye radio on Monday.

The Gulf has experienced wet and windy conditions in recent days with snow in parts of Saudi Arabia, storms in Oman and school closures in Kuwait.

In addition, officials say cloud seeding has played a role in boosting rainfall, which replenishes water sources and helps crops to grow.

Oman blooms following heavy rain: in pictures